Police force pioneers new technology to catch criminals on the roads

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A NEW generation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are being rolled out across North Yorkshire as part of a £1m investment to catch travelling criminals.

The first phase of new, moveable cameras, known as re-deployable cameras, has been introduced following an announcement of substantial investment in ANPR technology by the force last year.

The cameras use the very latest technology to produce enhanced images and have the ability to capture distinguishing marks on a vehicle.

North Yorkshire Police force is the first in the UK to use this model of ANPR camera.

It works by reading the registration number of a vehicle and after checking the number against a database of information will issue an alarm if the vehicle is linked to criminality.

They are used by the police to prevent and detect crime, as well as helping search for vulnerable missing people, wanted criminals and to target uninsured and untaxed vehicles.

The cameras will be used by local police teams to tackle crime issues in their area. If an area is experiencing a spate of crime such as burglaries, the local policing team can request ANPR cameras in that area until the issue has been resolved.

The use of ANPR is strictly controlled and its deployment adheres to the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s code of practice.

Each request for a moveable camera will be scrutinised by a panel of police officers and staff and only be granted if there is a specific and pressing need.

About 20 per cent of all detected crime in North Yorkshire is committed by criminals travelling from outside the county. North Yorkshire contains 6,000 miles of roads to police.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy, who is also the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for ANPR, said 20 re-deployable cameras will initially be available to neighbourhood policing teams, with more to follow over the coming months.